<b>PENNSYLVANIA</b>

Striped bass fishing opened up full throttle on the Delaware River, said Bill from <b>Brinkman’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Philadelphia. He fished at Trenton and nailed a nearly 40-pound striper that measured 43 ½ inches and also took down 11 stripers to 33 inches and nine catfish to 6 pounds. Kenny Elwood fished the river Monday for one of the Big D’s best catches reported at the shop this season, reeling up 25 stripers, including nine more than 28 inches, all caught on live herring. The stretch at Station Avenue also produced a couple of big bass each day, including a 48-pound lunker that a customer tackled! Under the Burlington Bristol Bridge was another go-to locale, putting up several 15- to 25-pound fish on clams and herring. Waters around the airport and the UPS building also pleased striper stalkers, but smaller fish dominated there.
 
<b>NEW JERSEY</b>

<b>North Jersey</b>

The week was a wild one, said Bill from <b>Bill’s Bait & Tackle</b> in Phillipsburg. He weighed in lots of solid catches from the Delaware River and the trout streams. Small striped bass arrived in the Delaware near the shop, and anglers often fooled them on chicken livers, but Kyle Cortezzo, Milford, hauled in a 23-pound 9-ounce striper. Also on the river, Matt Karcher, Milford, scored two channel cats that weighed 7 pounds and 4 pounds 12 ounces. Other channel cats from the river included Jeremy Lee of Bethlehem Township’s 9-pound 8-ouncer and Paul Edwards of Phillipsburg’s 6-pound 6-ouncer. Pat Storm of Phillipsburg fished the river and boated a 5-pound 11-ounce smallmouth bass, and Jake Utzinger, Stewartsville, also grabbed a large smallmouth from the river, a 5-pound 8-ouncer. Now for trout! Greg Cartegena, Phillipsburg, fished Bushkill Creek to creel a 2-pound 8-ounce brown, and John Marvine, Somerville, hit Pohatcong Creek for a pair of 4-pound 6-ounce and 5-pound 4-ounce trout. Also on the Pohatcong, Vincent Shuler, 9, Phillipsburg, wrestled up a 4-pound brown, and Jim Calandra, Easton, banked a 3-pound 10-ounce brown, and Gordon Price, Phillipsburg, tricked a 4-pound rainbow. Kevin Fenlon, Phillipsburg, fished the Columbia Dam area for a 3-pound 8-ounce brown and then moved to Oxford Furnace Lake and claimed a 5-pound 4-ounce largemouth bass.

Customers concentrated on fishing for trout in local streams, said Adrian from <b>Fairfield Fishing Tackle</b> in Montville. The Ramapo River, Big Flatbrook and Musconetcong River held plenty of stockers. On another front, hybrid stripers and walleyes were on a decent nighttime feed at Lake Hopatcong, mostly inhaling live herring in the shallow coves.

Hybrid stripers at Hopatcong was the word from Kevin from <b>Ramsey Outdoor</b> in Paramus. The brokensiders chased herring in the shallow coves from 5 to 7 a.m., and the feed was also going on through the night. Try tossing top-water jitterbugs at night for wild strikes from the hybrids or even walleyes. Largemouth bass fishing slowed a little, as the bucketmouths tended the spawning beds. Smaller, male largemouths that swam around the beds could be enticed with Senko worms.

Anglers on the lake were into solid angling, said Laurie from <b>Dow’s Boat Rentals</b> in Lake Hopatcong. Catches included John Rogalo’s 8-pound 8-ounce striper, Adam Kasica’s duplicate 8-pound 8-ouncer and Pat Robinson’s 7-pound 6-ounce hybrid.  The fish were caught either on herring or lures fished in shallower waters. Trollers who downrigged in deeper waters to 20 feet also stuck stripers. Walleyes that were taken included John M. Rogalo’s pair of 7-pound 7-ounce and 5-pound 2-ounce marbleyes and Tom Focciola’s 5-pound 13-ouncer. Trout from the lake included Jim Smith’s 3-pound 15-ounce rainbow that he trolled. David Mielke fished Lake Aeroflex for a healthy catch of trout, weighing in two rainbows at 2 pounds and 2 1/4 pounds.

A few tenacious anglers convinced largemouth bass to bite at Lake Hopatcong, said Al from <b>Meltzer’s Sporting Goods</b> in Garfield. John Panici bailed 35 largemouths to 4 pounds that pounced rubber worms, and it was an all-day affair, Panici said. Dave Remes got the best of 11 bass to 3-1/2 pounds. Plenty of brown trout could be pulled from Wanaque Reservoir on dunked mealworms.

Spruce Run Reservoir served up a medley of species in the coves, said Chris from <b>Lebanon Bait & Sport Shop</b>. Small to medium, live shiners produced a bunch of channel cats to 7 pounds and crappies to 2 ½ pounds for Bill and Greg Honachefsky. Schools of crappies gathered around the stick piles in the coves, and largemouth bass could sometimes be found in the shallows. Round Valley Reservoir anglers took advantage of the Round Valley Trout Association’s trout stocking, catching big breeders along the shorelines.

Streams were expected to become fishable again by tomorrow after the rains early this week, said Ron from <b>Ray’s Sport Shop</b> in North Plainfield. Try to get to the Big Flatbrook, which should clean up first. Trout streams had been top notch everywhere, and fishing on them had been going very well. Small, size-16, olive caddis and size-10 March Browns will be the flies of choice.

<b>Central Jersey</b>

Before the rains, stream anglers were slamming brown trout on the Big Flatbrook and on the Musconetcong River, said Mark from <b>Efinger Sporting Goods</b> in Bound Brook. Look for nightcrawlers to work as the floods subside.

Most largemouth bass were bedded down on the spawn, said Andrew from <b>L&H Woods & Water</b> in Wall. But a few anglers managed a strike at Manasquan Reservoir by throwing Jig-N-Pig combos and creature baits to annoy the bass. Manasquan River doled out good numbers of stocked trout, as did Spring Lake. More shad moved into the Delaware River, and small, gold darts worked.

Trouting was fairly on fire at Spring Lake, said Jeff from <b>Murphy’s Hook House</b> in Toms River, and white Roostertails did a number on some. Lester’s Lake was home to a potpourri of largemouths, pickerel and sunfish, and Lake Riviera put on a good show of picks, bass and yellow perch, and live shiners worked best at both locations. The Trilco stretch of the Toms River was also a holding place for pickerel, and trout seemed to vacate the area for now.

A whopper, 48-pound striped bass, taping out at 54 inches with a 38-inch girth, was the catch that Tony Settimi took from the Delaware River, said Frank from <b>Harry’s Army and Navy</b> in Robbinsville. He swam a live herring to nail the big cow on a trip that Eric from the shop guided. Lake Assunpink was a spot for largemouth bass action on creature baits. But another two weeks was left before they moved off the spawning beds and hit hard again.

Lake Assunpink and Stone Tavern Lake dished out respectable catches of largemouth bass in the early, warmer mornings and late evenings, and live shiners were best baits, said Carl from the <b>Sportsmen’s Center</b> in Bordentown. A few bucketmouths were convinced to come off the spawning beds at Farrington Lake, and attacked the new Cavitron buzzbaits when slowly retrieved. The Medford Lakes gave up bass on Senko soft plastics. Striped bass moved into the Delaware River, especially near the Trenton area, and the Titusville section of the D&R Canal was a trout haven, with garden worms getting most strikes.

<b>South Jersey</b>

Lake Pohatcong gave trout anglers good sport, said Scott from <b>Scott’s Bait & Tackle</b>. The stockers ate up mealworms and white Roostertails, and some pickerel and sunfish were in the mix. The cranberry bogs at Stafford were a source of steady pickerel action, and live shiners got the nod.

Almost all lakes, such as Malaga Lake, were a good bet to fight feisty pickerel, said Lou from the <b>Sportsman’s Outpost</b> in Williamstown. Trout anglers were mostly heading to the upper Maurice River and Swedesboro Lake, and Iona Lake and Oak Pond also offered decent trouting.

Largemouth bass mostly stayed on the spawning beds, said Jeff from <b>Blackwater Sports Center</b> in Vineland. But after the full moon at the beginning of next week, fishing for them should start to kick in again, and plastics will be the main choice. Trout fishing held steady in the Maurice River, and Garden and Almond roads were spots to try. On the lower river, catfish hit, and sometimes quality, 35- to 40-inch striped bass smacked live herring.

Striped bass were the hot ticket on the Maurice River, said Ki from <b>Huck’s Place</b> in Millville. Though shorts were the mainstay, larger linesiders to 20 pounds began prowling, honing in on live herring and bloodworms on the higher tides. Plenty of white perch were also on tap to fill the coolers, and try floating a bloodworm for a tussle.

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